The Senate finance committee voted to advance Robert F Kennedy Jr’s nomination as the following secretary of well being and human companies on Tuesday, as Republicans unanimously backed the controversial cupboard choose in an important take a look at forward of a closing flooring vote.
The committee vote fell alongside social gathering traces, with 14 Republicans backing the development of Kennedy’s nomination and 13 Democrats opposing it. The complete Senate is predicted to vote on Kennedy’s affirmation within the coming days.
One Republican member of the finance committee, Invoice Cassidy of Louisiana, had been seen as a possible holdout on Kennedy’s affirmation after voicing critical issues concerning the nominee’s previous feedback attacking vaccines. Cassidy, who was a liver physician earlier than becoming a member of Congress, finally voted to advance Kennedy’s nomination on Tuesday.
“I’ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White Home over the weekend and even this morning,” Cassidy mentioned in a social media submit. “With the intense commitments I’ve obtained from the administration and the chance to make progress on the problems we agree on like wholesome meals and a pro-American agenda, I’ll vote sure.”
With Cassidy’s help, Kennedy is more likely to be confirmed. Given Republicans’ 53-47 benefit within the Senate, Kennedy can afford three “no” votes amongst Republicans, assuming each Democratic senator opposes his nomination. A number of different Republican senators – specifically Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – should vote in opposition to Kennedy, however most members of the convention have rallied round his nomination.
Earlier than the vote on Tuesday, the chair of the finance committee, Republican Mike Crapo of Idaho, applauded Kennedy’s look in a affirmation listening to final week, when the nominee confronted Democrats’ pointed questions on his previous anti-vaccine feedback, his flip-flopping on abortion entry and his potential conflicts of curiosity main HHS.
“He has spent his profession preventing to finish America’s persistent sickness epidemic and has been a number one advocate for healthcare transparency, each for sufferers and for taxpayers,” Crapo mentioned. “Mr Kennedy has confirmed his dedication to the function of secretary of the HHS, and I’ll vote in favor of his nomination. I strongly encourage my colleagues on each side of the aisle to do the identical.”
However the high Democrat on the committee, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, condemned Kennedy’s potential affirmation as a “grave menace to the well being of the American folks”.
“Mr Kennedy has given us no cause to consider he’ll be something aside from a rubber stamp for plans to intestine Medicaid and rip healthcare away from the American folks, and be a sure man if ordered by [Elon Musk] or [Donald Trump] to take an unlawful motion,” Wyden mentioned.
“The healthcare established order wants substantial modifications so we get higher, extra inexpensive care to sufferers … The query in entrance of us is fairly easy: do senators need their legacy to incorporate disregarding primary well being science and as a substitute elevate conspiracy theorists?”
Kennedy, who launched a White Home bid as a Democratic after which unbiased candidate earlier than dropping out of the race to endorse Trump in August, has obtained the enthusiastic backing of the brand new president. In a social media submit shared earlier than the committee vote, Trump expressed concern concerning the rise in autism diagnoses and mentioned: “One thing’s actually flawed. We want BOBBY!!!”
For Democrats, Kennedy’s affirmation represents the elevation of a skeptical strategy to vaccines and medical science extra broadly, marking a doubtlessly harmful flip for People’ well being.
“I need a disrupter within the healthcare system and the one main it. I don’t need a destroyer,” Senator Peter Welch, a Democrat of Vermont and member of the finance committee, mentioned on Tuesday. “Now we have a healthcare system that isn’t serving, because it ought to, the curiosity of Americans, of American companies and of American taxpayers. And after this listening to, I didn’t have faith that Mr Kennedy could be the one to guide us to a greater future.”
Supply hyperlink
